Let lychees release their fragrance in the cold wind season.

BAC NINH - Amidst the cold winter, enjoying the sweet, fragrant lychee fruit, which brings back the breath of summer, is something many people long for. Now, that desire is gradually becoming a reality as many businesses have boldly invested in modern preservation technology, opening up a new direction for local agricultural products.

"Bang Ngoc Lychee" - transcending seasonal limitations.

Lychee, a specialty fruit of the province, has long been loved by domestic and international consumers for its delicious flavor, rarely found elsewhere. As a result, lychee is now present in more than 30 countries and territories worldwide . However, its short harvest season means the fruit is only harvested in abundance for about a month, leaving consumers disappointed that they cannot enjoy it year-round.

Pre-processing lychees before storage at Vifoco Import-Export Joint Stock Company.

Driven by his own desire and that of many others, Mr. Nguyen Duc Hung, Director of Toan Cau Food Import-Export Joint Stock Company in Phuong Son ward, has nurtured the idea of ​​preserving fresh lychees for many years. Toan Cau Food Import-Export Joint Stock Company is known as one of the pioneering enterprises in the field of preserving and processing agricultural products for export. With key products such as sweet corn, soybeans, fruit juices, and especially lychees, the company has successfully conquered many demanding markets such as the United States, Europe, and Japan.

"This is a new direction, demonstrating strong innovation in the application of science and technology to agriculture . Thanks to these advances, lychees are no longer limited to the June and July harvest season but can become a year-round product, serving market demand throughout the year. The joint efforts of businesses have contributed to enhancing the value of lychees, building brands, and expanding the consumer market. In particular, lychees sold in winter are worth many times more than those sold during the main season, a clear testament to the marvels of technology in modern agriculture. If developed on a large scale, Bac Ninh could completely organize a Winter Lychee Festival," said Pham Van Thinh, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee.

According to Mr. Hung, from initial trials with a few tons, the company is now confident in preserving hundreds of tons of lychees to supply during the winter, opening up opportunities to enjoy fresh lychees at any time of year. This groundbreaking product is named "Ice Jade Lychee," the culmination of modern preservation technology. Each lychee is put into a "dormant" state at -20°C, helping to maintain its cellular structure. When needed, the lychee is "awakened" at a temperature of 0-5°C, ensuring a perfect transition, preserving its flavor and color. The company is also preparing to organize an event and launch an online lychee sales program in October, combining delivery within 24 hours of the product "awakening" and allowing for an additional 48 hours of storage in a refrigerator.

Besides Toan Cau Company, Vifoco Import-Export Joint Stock Company (Tien Phong ward) also applies technology to preserve lychees, maintaining their freshness and deliciousness for a year, although it is still on a trial scale. Many people were amazed and delighted when tasting lychees preserved from the previous harvest, feeling as if they were freshly picked from the branch – fresh, delicious, and sweet. Ms. Hoang Mai, a businesswoman from Guangxi Province (China), shared that in March of this year, she and a business delegation from Guangxi visited the province's lychee growing areas. Although the lychees in the orchards were still bearing young fruit at that time, the delegation was surprised to enjoy sweet, fragrant, and refreshing lychees preserved from the previous harvest by a local enterprise. According to Ms. Mai, this clearly demonstrates a significant leap forward in the province's agricultural product preservation technology. If applied on a large scale, this technology will contribute to increasing the value of the fruit many times over.

According to Mr. Nguyen Xuan Viet, Director of Vifoco Import-Export Joint Stock Company, building on the initial success of extending lychee preservation, the company is gradually implementing a plan to expand its production scale. The increasing domestic and international market demand for high-quality agricultural products requires the company to both maintain quality and improve its supply capacity. This is considered a long-term strategy, contributing to Vifoco's sustainable development in the future.

Expectations for the winter lychee festival

Bac Ninh province currently has approximately 30,000 hectares of lychee orchards, concentrated in the communes of Luc Ngan, Phuc Hoa, Yen The, Chu Ward, Phuong Son, etc., with an annual production of over 100,000 tons. To enhance the value of this distinctive agricultural product, local authorities, businesses, and farmers have jointly implemented many comprehensive solutions, from caring for the trees and improving fruit quality to harvesting at the right time and ensuring rapid transportation, guaranteeing the product reaches consumers both domestically and internationally efficiently. The government has also actively supported this through production area planning, trade promotion, and investment in agricultural infrastructure. In addition, many scientific research projects have been implemented, and post-harvest preservation technologies are gradually being applied; however, most products only retain their freshness for about a month.

Lychees after more than a year of preservation by Toan Cau Food Import-Export Joint Stock Company.

In this context, the fact that some pioneering businesses have researched and applied preservation technology to keep lychees fresh for up to a year is considered a breakthrough. According to Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Pham Van Thinh, this direction demonstrates a strong innovation in the application of science and technology to agriculture. Thanks to this progress, lychees are no longer limited to the June and July harvest season but can become a year-round product, meeting market demand throughout the year. The joint efforts of businesses contribute to enhancing the value of lychees, building brands, and expanding the consumer market. In particular, lychees sold in winter have a value many times higher than those sold during the main season, clearly demonstrating the marvels of technology in modern agriculture. If developed on a large scale, Bac Ninh could completely organize a Winter Lychee Festival.

Lychee – the pride of Vietnamese agricultural products – is one of the few unprocessed products to achieve 5-star OCOP certification, affirming its superior quality and brand value in the market. Beyond post-harvest preservation, the province has also tasked specialized agencies and businesses with researching and regulating the growing season, aiming to bring lychee fruit to fruiting in winter, a time completely opposite to the natural growth cycle of the lychee tree. If successful, this would be a major breakthrough, creating a superior competitive advantage for the product.

Text and photos: Trinh Lan

Source: https://baobacninhtv.vn/de-vai-thieu-toa-huong-mua-gio-lanh-postid429274.bbg